


Moments In A Revolution

by theoreticalpixy



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Briarwood Arc, F/M, Pre Relationship, Vax POV, Vignettes, missing moments and expanding seen moments
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-17
Updated: 2020-12-17
Packaged: 2021-03-10 20:54:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,388
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28123419
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theoreticalpixy/pseuds/theoreticalpixy
Summary: Vax'ildan and Keyleth throughout the Briarwoods arc.
Relationships: Keyleth/Vax'ildan (Critical Role)
Kudos: 18





	Moments In A Revolution

**Author's Note:**

> I'm just here to post fic 600 years too late

The night after the feast Keyleth helps him apply glissfoil to the bite wound for everyone’s peace of mind. She’s businesslike about it, clearly angry with him after his fumbled words that morning, and he isn’t sure how best to apologize. He merely shuts his mouth to try and not shove his foot further down his throat. Says ‘thank you’. Tries not to dwell on the feeling of her fingers on his neck. For as perfunctory as she treats the healing her touch is still careful and light, wanting to take utmost care even if her demeanor is distant. 

The next day she helps again, dutiful in her assistance and he stays mostly quiet again with nerves, hoping if he gives it time they’ll talk and find their peace. 

“I know you probably don’t really need to do this, but thank you, Keyleth. I appreciate it. I do.”

She nods. “You’re welcome.”

There’s nothing else to say before she’s gone.

On the third day he’s gathered the courage to say something real. She’s finishing up and his gaze is caught on the floor while he sits. “I-” He turns to her, but can get no more out.

“I think you should be able to manage the rest on your own,” she interrupts, putting away her kit. She doesn’t look at him, falsely haughty with a hint of uncertainty in her voice.

He looks down again.

“Apply this every day until the end of the week,” she places a jar on the table beside him, “And tell me if it does anything strange, but you should be fine.” 

He has a feeling she’s practiced this. The coolness, the way her eyes are trained away from him, and the methodical way she’s packing up her things. The slight waver at the end. She’s not good enough at social ease on her own. It hurts, but it also gives him just a sliver of hope. If she had to prepare for this, that means she was unsure if she wanted to do it. Right? That must be what it meant. Maybe she was getting closer to being ready to forgive him. 

Vax nods. He’s not going to push it. "Alright.” He grabs the jar of glissfoil and glances over to her as she’s half a second from leaving him. “Thanks, Keyleth. I mean it.”

“I didn’t do anything,” she dismisses, not meeting his eyes and clutching her things a shade tight.

“You all did. I wouldn’t be standing here without any of you.”

For a moment their eyes finally meet, and he can see a sadness in her before her jaw tightens, and suddenly she’s far away.

She tilts her head towards the jar. “Tell me if you need more glissfoil. I started growing it.”

Before he can reply she walks away. 

-

Vax sits with his back against the rock as he keeps second watch. Their journey to Whitestone is a low thrum in his stomach for more that one reason. His fingers keep clenching and fidgeting as he keeps sharp eyes in every direction but one. 

The silence is long and trembling towards awkward in the dark of night as their friends sleep. It’s only once he knows for sure they’re all asleep, deep asleep, and he can’t see any threats on the horizon that he breaks the silence between him and the direction he’s been avoiding.

“You know, I’m sorry.” He glances over to Keyleth, and she is sitting tall and still, but he catches her eyes looking over to him, the softening in her face at what he said.

“I shouldn’t have brought it up. I didn’t mean it like it sounded, and I’m sorry for that. I hope you can forgive me. It wasn’t fair to you. You’re allowed to reservations about the fights we get into without having past accidents held against you. So, I’m sorry, Keyleth,

“And I’m sorry I didn’t say anything sooner, I tried to give you space and I don’t know if that was right or not.” He glances down to his hands, still idly worrying over his overdue apology. “What I do know is that we’re heading towards something dangerous, and I don’t want you to think badly of me if something happens.“

“What? No…don’t talk like that, Vax. Nothing’s going to happen to you.”

“It almost did though. And I couldn’t live with myself if you thought I was a piece of shit.”

“I don’t think that. I was angry. Extremely angry…It hurt. I don’t bring up things you’ve done. We all have our share of regrets. And that…you know.” There was a strain in her voice, and he didn’t miss the way her hands tightened around her arms. He did know. It was a weight she did not carry lightly. One she was never going to let go.

“I can’t pretend to be perfect,” she continued after collecting herself, “And I don’t expect that everyone else is, but I hope that we can all try to be better. That’s all I want from us. Better. We’re capable of it. I know we are. We have to be.”

“I hope I can be for you.” He watches her as long as he can before looking to the cliffs for threats. This conversation isn’t an excuse for lax eyes. “I hope you can forgive me. Your friendship means a lot to me, Keyleth.” More than she realizes, more than he is ready to tell her, but he will someday, when things settle, when he’s had a chance to suss out what her own feelings might be…he’ll tell her.

“Your friendship means a lot to me too, Vax.” She finally gives him a small smile. “Thank you for apologizing.” 

“You’re welcome. I’ll try to be less of a shit next time.”

“Vax, no,” she objects. “You’re not. Just…try to be better. I will too.”

“Deal.”

-

At first Vax can’t really feel her hands, only the searing burns left on his skin from red hot daggers, and rain giving almost no relief. The pressure of her hands intensify the pain if anything. Keyleth whispers words though, and their hands are enveloped in a green glow, twisting spectral vines reach out to him, and with a gasp the burning is swallowed up. Even as they’re healed there’s a moment of stinging left behind before his hands feel normal again.

Vax breathes heavy, looks up to Keyleth’s eyes, and gently squeezes her hands. 

“I’m so sorry Vax, I thought it was only going to help I-” her eyes are bright with apology and he can’t help a dizzy smile.

“All better. Let’s not do it again though, yeah?”

Keyleth nods quickly, hands still holding his, “Yeah.”

His smile steadies and she slowly smiles too. Neither pulls hands away.

Now all he feels is her hands, the far more gentle warmth of her skin, and their matching hold. Her hands softer than his, but still bearing their own marks of life fully lived. This is the first time he can catalogue the way they feel.. The moment stretches, swelling in his chest and he wants it to stretch so much longer than he knows it can. As he wishes things he can’t have they’re broken apart. Hands knocked asunder, and Keyleth jumps back from him as Vex barges through. 

His hands now burn with loss, a cold taking over, raindrops slowly washing away the warm imprint of her touch. 

-

He doesn't really remember kissing her. It's hazing, and dreamlike, woozy with blood loss, and sweet with her lips. He thinks she kissed him in return. That part felt real, the spark of her responding to his ill timed and stupid confession. Either way he can't take it back.

-

He rushes to Keyleth the moment the last wraith is dispatched. Hands over bleeding wounds and he makes sure she can breathe as he pulls her into his lap. His heart races in fear. She can’t die. Not like this. Vax adjusts her head to keep her throat clear, checks pulse, puts pressure on what seems the worst wound. He calls for Scanlan, the gnome rushing over and calling out a few lines of verse that brings her to consciousness with a swirl of magic. Keyleth gasps and her eyes flutter open, dizzy as she comes to before seeing Vax above her. It’s strange like this, Seeming-ed into the forms of Percy and Cassandra, but he recognizes her expressions and he hopes she can too.

“Perc - Vax…?” she says softly as she realizes it’s him. He smiles.

“Yes.” He takes her hand. “Are you alright?” he asks although he knows she was at death’s door. 

“Are they gone?” she asks with a jolt, eyes searching the crypt and he brushes a hand through her hair despite himself, he can feel it sprawling across his lap even though the illusion doesn’t quite match, her helm clattered a foot or two away. He shouldn’t be so careless with how he touches her. She hasn’t said anything about returning his affections, yet as lovesick as it is, with as little as a kiss it’s like the gate has opened in his heart. 

“They’re dead,” he assures, and he glances over his shoulder for Vex, not to see if she’s ok, he knows that already thankfully, but to see if he’s about to be shoved away from Keyleth. His sister has either not noticed or decided to give him a break this one time. Thank Sarenrae. 

He feels Keyleth relax back into him and he breathes easier, tired and wounded himself. 

He hears the rest of their friends talking, debating resting, and he calls over his shoulder. “Good idea! We need to heal up.”

Keyleth starts trying to push herself up, and his heart jumps at the shakiness in her arms. Her skin is cold and head heavy. “Hey, it’s fine, lie down. You can rest with me,” he urges, shoulders curled in and head bent as if his body might protect her in this dangerous place. 

She slumps against him. “Ok.” She closes her eyes, presses a hand against his to add pressure on the wound through her stomach, and whispers words of healing. A familiar green glow appears and recedes, and her next breath sounds deeper. Vax closes his eyes in turn, and relaxes a little through shoulders. She will be alright. As he tries to resist touching her any more than he already is, Keyleth reaches back aimlessly trying to settle. He stills as her hand rests against his arm, her hand curls and brushes into the ends of his hair hanging down. Although he can’t see it - wishes he could - Vax thinks he feels her her playing with one of his braids, fingers certainly twisted into his hair, and he can’t help but wonder whether she’s doing it knowingly or not. She might only be tired and out of it.

Whatever it is, slowly he starts to breath again and cautiously rests a hand in the wave of her hair. He knows he can’t get used to this. After awhile her hand goes still, resting against him although her fingers remain twined into the strands of his hair. The chatter of their party settles around them, and for one of the few moments in Whitestone he feels some kind of contentment. 

It won’t last long considering their mission ahead, but they also won’t be able to defeat the Briarwoods if they’re half dead. A short rest and some magic is in order, and if he can take care of Keyleth for some part of that he will be glad for it. They’ll both need more healing in a minute but…in a minute. Just give him a few minutes with her. 

-

He glances back and Keyleth still standing at the top of the ziggurat steps breaks him. She’s a tall shadow, far away, out of reach. He’s already half shattered with Vex in his arms, weak with blood loss, and heart torn. Vax winces as he grits teeth, pushes Vex into Grog’s arms and turns back. His hand stays with her as long as it can, but Vex’s falls away and his hand clenches at the ghost of her, praying she’ll stay safe. She’s breathing. Just keep breathing.

He runs even when Keyleth tries to dissuade him. What if something happens to her too? What if they leave and she needs help? 

Too many questions. Too many dangers. He couldn’t leave her alone.

“Nevermind, run. Fuck it, run!“ comes through his earring, and there’s something close to relief to know she’s not going to get caught down here, crushed between rock trying to bring this thing down. 

She starts to charge from the damned evil ziggurat, and Vax pauses his run toward her just long enough to grab her hand so he can race back with her side by side down the endless steps. One foot in front of the other in quick succession they blur over the stairs. His heart starts to pound in his ears, still half terrified for Vex, and tugging Keyleth along like their own lives depend on it, something he can’t be sure is wrong. 

Their friends disappear into the hallway and out of sight, something he wants to be a relief, but Vax isn’t sure he can feel that right now through the rush.

He glances to Keyleth, her hair and skirts a wave behind them, and in that way of kind fate she looks back just long enough to share her own worry. Worry, but also determination and focus to get out as fast as they can run. He tugs her faster, not wanting to lose her with his speed, but taking a step ahead. 

When their feet touch ground he feels like he breathes again. Their hands break apart as they sprint towards the exit and the shadows of their friends. He pauses at what passes for a doorway and ushers Keyleth out before him. She passes by in a whirlwind, and he rolls out behind, sparing once last glance behind him into the dark. The weight of the unknown, of some evil they lost to despite their win against the Briarwoods, looms large as he presses a hand to Keyleth’s back, and keeps running.


End file.
